Reader's Theatre is not a fully-staged production with sets, costumes and dramatic action performed by actors who memorise lines from a script. Instead, a readers' theatre performance is a dramatic reading, just as its name suggests. Readers are usually seated, reading from a script that is held in their hands or placed on a musc stand in front of them. There may be minimal use of costumes or props, such as hats, a sceptre or crown, or a simple backdrop to provide a suggestion of the setting and characters that the readers hope to bring to life for the audience during their dramatic reading.
Readers' Theatre offers all the enrichment of traditional theatre productions, but without the logistical challenges that come with designing and building sets and creating costumes. Students are spared the stress of having to memorise lines, and can instead focus on developing a strong dramatic reading of the script.
Contents of Readers' Theatre Middle Primary Book 1:
- Introduction
- Assessment
Pre-performance Checklist
Performance Review Template
Assessing Oral Presentations
- Scripts and Activities
Spider Woman and the Gift of the Loom (Native American Traditions, Language Arts)
They Sydney Harbour Bridge (Language Arts, Australian History)
B. W. Hawkins and the Dinosaur Models (Language Arts, Science)
The Amazing Laundry Hamper (Character Education, Butterflies)
Catching Beautiful Butterflies (Language Arts, Science)
Davy Crockett: Fact or Legend (Language Arts, Social Studies)
A Riddle-Maker Saves the Day (Language Arts)
It's the Pits! (Language Arts, Science)
Brer Rabbit Shares His Crops (Language Arts, Mathematics, African American Traditions)
Space Camp is a Blast! (Language Arts, Science)
Putting it Together (Language Arts, Mathematics)
Those Magnificent Counting Machines (Language Arts, Science, Social Studies)
Space-Wrecked! (Language Arts, Social Studies)
- Answer Key |
